Chapter Content
Okay, so let’s talk about priorities, right? Because, like, how do you even *figure out* what's truly important? I mean, we're constantly bombarded with stuff, and it's so easy to get distracted.
There’s this, uh, this exercise, the "two-list exercise," that I think is super helpful. Supposedly, it came from a conversation between Warren Buffett and his pilot, Mike Flint. So, Flint was, you know, kind of feeling lost, not really sure what he wanted to focus on in his career and life. And Buffett, being the guru that he is, gave him this three-step process.
First, he told Flint to write down, like, *twenty-five* career goals. Everything he wanted to accomplish. Then, he had to circle just the top five. I mean, that's tough, right? 'Cause you probably care about all twenty-five! But, eventually, Flint managed to pick his top five.
Then, the kicker. Buffett told him to separate it into two lists. And when Flint asked what to do with the stuff he *didn't* circle, he said he'd just work on it when he had some free time, you know? And Buffett was like, "No, no, no." Everything that wasn't circled becomes your "Avoid at All Costs" list. Like, you don't even *think* about it until you’ve crushed your top five.
The whole point is, you’ve highlighted what matters most, and everything else is just noise. It’s a distraction that’s gonna throw you off course, basically.
So, how do you do this thing? How do you figure out what those super important things *are*?
Alright, so first things first: you gotta make a list. A big, comprehensive list of all your professional priorities. And then, you do the same thing for your personal priorities. Get everything down on paper… or, you know, on your screen. Whatever.
Next, you gotta narrow it down. Go through your professional list and circle the top three to five things. These are the *absolute* top priorities. The ones that will really move the needle in your career, the things that have long-term value. These are the things that truly matter. And then you do the same thing with your personal priorities.
Finally, you split the lists. Take a fresh piece of paper, write down those circled priorities on the left side. That's your "Priorities" list. And then on the right side, write down everything else. That's your "Avoid at All Costs" list. And, yeah, you repeat the same process for your personal list.
So now you've got these two very clear lists. A clear line separating what you're focusing on from what you're delegating or, you know, just straight-up deleting.
Think of this as your first line of defense, okay? When new opportunities pop up, look at your two lists and ask yourself, "Does this fit into my priorities, or is this something I need to avoid?"
Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Use this thing to, like, really focus your attention. It can really help you break free from just grinding away.